>
> Is it the right question? It seems to me that the
> question beneath your question is trying to divine
> intent: is Israel acting crazy because it is crazy,
> or is it just pretending to be crazy? But Israel is
> acting crazy. Whether it's just playing a role and
> whether its weakness is real or "merely" perceived
> are secondary questions at best. What's important
> is effect, not motivation.
Current events plus arrogance/strength might lead you to predict different behavior in the near future than the same current events plus desperation/weakness. So if I wanted to guess what Israel's government is going to do next, their motivation _would_ be important.
At least assuming that my curiosity was important at all. I live far away from Gaza, but if I lived there, I'd be _very interested_ in understanding the Israeli government's motivations.
yrs wdk